What was the colonists' reaction to the Intolerable Acts?

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The Intolerable Acts, or Coercive Acts, drove the colonists to call the First Continental Congress in 1774 and band together to form a collective resistance against British oppression. The Intolerable Acts heavily targeted Massachusetts, and especially Boston, to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party uprising. Britain intended to alienate Massachusetts, but the other colonies openly showed their support by sending money and supplies to aid Boston.

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The Boston Committee of Correspondence responded to the decree by emphasizing that the harsh acts threatened all of the colonies and urging the people to boycott British trade. The Intolerable Acts consisted of four major bills meant to pacify the colonies and restore British supremacy.

The Boston Port Act was passed in retribution for the Boston Tea Party, closing Boston harbors until the damages from the uprising were repaid. The Massachusetts Government Act replaced the governor's council with an appointed military administration and made town meetings subject to approval.

The Administration of Justice Act protected British officials from prosecution in Massachusetts, allowing them to be tried in other colonies. The Quartering Act forced the colonists to accept the responsibility of housing British troops. The British simultaneously passed the Quebec Act, which offended Protestant colonists by giving Canadian settlers more control over the fur trade and legalizing Catholic worship near largely Protestant territories.